Computer generated aircraft displays have become highly sophisticated and capable of displaying a substantial amount of flight management, navigation, and control information that gives flight crews more effective control of the aircraft and a reduction in workload. In this regard, electronic displays, such as Heads-Up Displays (HUDs) and Heads-Down Displays (HDDs), are used in aircraft as Primary Flight Displays to display important flight management, navigation, and control information to flight crews.
Primary Flight Displays are computer-generated displays that provide flight crews with real-time visual representations of the operational states of their aircraft during flights. For example, the Primary Flight Display can combine critical flight instrumentation (e.g., altitude, attitude, heading, airspeed, vertical speed instruments) and primary engine instrument indicators into a single, readily interpretable display. As a result, Primary Flight Displays have become effective visual tools for controlling aircraft, reducing pilot workload, increasing situational awareness, and improving overall flight safety.
Certain types of flight information displayed on Primary Flight Displays, particularly flight path information, are useful in maintaining proper aircraft safety and control. Some previous Primary Flight Displays provided no flight path information other than a conventional flight path marker, while others may provide complicated 3D symbology known as “highway in the sky” or HITS that potentially clutters the airspace area on the display. Additionally, some conventional Primary Flight Displays fail to provide any information about required navigation performance (RNP).
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide systems and methods that increase the visibility and types of certain flight information on a visual display, such as, for example, a Primary Flight Display, similar electronic aircraft displays, and other types of electronic displays. Particularly, it is desirable to provide systems and methods that display improved flight path information and required navigation performance (RNP). Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description of the invention and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background of the invention.